Have a Chat and a Meal with Erie's Most Talented Filmmakers

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

There's been a film renaissance in Erie lately.

Recent feature-length productions have explored themes as diverse as throat injuries, fracking accidents, and all-female biker gangs. Tickets are selling alarmingly fast for the Film Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania's art house screenings at the Bourbon Barrel. For those of us looking to create videos of our own, organizations like the Greater Erie Arts Rental, ThreeGloves Productions, and MenajErie (which produces our own contribution to the zeitgeist, Endnotes with Nick Warren) offer a variety of professional services.

Accordingly, the Greater Erie Film Office has decided a celebration is in order. The Film and New Media Dinner Party is set to occur on a Saturday night at the tail-end of March in the Hemingway Ballroom of the Ambassador Conference Center. At the pre-party happy hour, multi-instrumentalist Leeanna Golembiewski, a recent TEDxErie performer, will entertain guests with her unique "mash-ups" of familiar tunes, as well as some songs of her own. In addition, drinks will be complimentary with the price of admission. Finally, the head chef of the Ambassador is preparing a special meal for all attendees.

The Film and New Media Dinner Party is designed to showcase local innovators, and 40 regional filmmakers have been invited to attend free of cost. Expect some fun gadgetry as you navigate the room, such as a SlowMo Video Booth from R.Frank photography and virtual-reality gaming software from Oculus Rift.

If you're looking to get a start in the world of film and video, this should be an excellent networking opportunity. If your business is looking to expand into new media, this is something you might not want to miss. And if you're just a local nerd who loves movies, drop by for a meal and some chit-chat with inspiring people. — Dan Schank

6 p.m. // $50 for tickets, $150 for tickets and hotel reservation // Ambassador Conference Center, 7794 Peach St. // filmsocietynwpa.org